Fortnums Cars Sucks

Letter from the victim to Fortnums:

I am writing to express my concerns about the way I have been treated by your company over two separate faults with this car. The problems I have had overlap each other with one being extremely Significant and hazardous and the other causing inconvenience but which demonstrated the lack of care by your staff. It appears that unless Mike is approached the standard of customer relations is poor and that you fail to exercise a duty of care to me as required by law.

It is clear that Fortnum’s sold me a car that was in a dangerous state and then when the problem was drawn to your attention failed to be diligent enough to ascertain what the fault was. This left me driving a car that was un-roadworthy. I will address the two problems separately

Suspension:

The day after I purchased the car from your Fareham Branch and after conferring with my neighbour I returned the car as it was not as good a drive as my previous BMW and showed both poor handling qualities and evidence of a lower suspension on the rear offside. I was told that this was just the angle of the ground on which I was parked.

Some two weeks later after having to go to a chiropractor because of back problems following a return journey to Devon I again returned the vehicle and advised that when travelling over rough ground such as a gravel drive or over speed bumps the suspension on the rear offside made a metallic “chinking” sound. This time I was listened to and was asked to return the vehicle on another occasion for checking on the ramps. Having done this I was asked to return it yet again when it would be taken to BMW for a full inspection of the suspension as your company did not have the equipment. By now I was more familiar with your range of Fiestas than I was with my own car.

I was advised that BMW’s could find no fault but had, tightened a few things up, and that the bad handling was my imagination as I was not used to the harder suspension of a convertible when compared to my previously owned and hard suspension compact. I lived with this and the poor handling thinking when I changed tyres things would get better. I then had a towing bracket fitted, for towing a light trailer and /or small light 4m RIB and it was remarked that I should get my suspension checked as the car was not sitting square.

Some two days later my Mother in Law called me and said that after I had left their house the previous day she had found a lump of metal on her gravel drive. I asked her to send me this. As soon as I saw it I realised it was part of a suspension coil spring and took my car to another BMW outlet and asked them to take a look. The service manager looked under the car, no ramps or jacks and said the car was not capable of passing a MoT and that I should drive very carefully back to where I had bought it and demand it was rectified. Fortnum’s Fareham said they would take it in and rectify it but could not give me a loan car for a few days.

I drove the car very gingerly for the next week until the car could be taken in and checked and contacted the BMW agent where Fortnum’s had advised me the car had been taken to and the only record they had was being asked for a suspension height check and that no request had been made to even put the car up on the ramps for a suspension inspection. When I returned the car to you again it was found that the offside rear coil spring was broken into three segments. Some imagination I had. It should be made clear that Fortnum’s lack of customer care and diligence had led me to be unknowingly driving round in an unsafe car for some four months.

Air conditioning:

Some three months into my ownership, and when the hotter weather came, I was stopped in a traffic jam on the motorway. It was so hot I put the hood up and switched on the air conditioning. It failed to work. I called Fortnum’s (who are still listed as “Drivers” with directory enquiries) and explained the problem. I was told in no uncertain terms that it was my fault as I had not run my air con once a week during the winter and the phone was put down. I called again and this time before I was put down explained that I had been running BMW’s for ten or more years and I put the aircon on about once a month during the winter I was then told again it was my fault for not running it once a week and was disconnected. I called again and when the tirade again started I said “Stop don’t treat me like an idiot” I was then passed to someone else who said “how dare you call one my staff an idiot” I then asked to speak to a manager (it was now 16:55 and instead of a manager speaking to me overheard “tell him we will arrange to get it re gassed and it will cost him £55:00.” I should add here that when I had run the system briefly at intervals during the winter cold air had come through but that I now believe this was just cold external air not cooled by the aircon unit. I waited a week and nothing happened so I went to a local garage with and air conditioning service. They re-gassed it and then called me over and said “look why it’s not working” When I looked the drive belt to the air conditioning compressor was hanging loose and required special tool. I took the car back to Fortnum’s and showed them and they then ordered in and fitted a new belt. I suggested to the so called manager that the least that could be done was to refund the cost of the unnecessary gassing and for some one senior to apologise for the way I was treated This manager (Steve?) said he would look into it. That was three months ago and I can only assume he is still looking!!!!

Both items:

When I went to collect my car from having the spring replaced I asked what was happening about the way I had been treated and the problems with the car and where was the RAC inspection certificate as I was sold it as RAC checked,? I was told “you can write to the MD if you like.” So I asked for your address and e-mail address and was told to phone up Staines and ask for it. This is when I became insistent and said “no you phone Staines and get it for me”.

From:
Mike Waddleton by email